Can perforator



oct. 12, 1954 L. R. GRADY CAN PERFORATOR Filed Aug. 9, 1952 INVENTOR. BY/v/v l?. GPADY PMM @la/fm Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a tool for punching perforations in cans such as beverage cans, condensed milk cans etc. The general object of the invention is to provide such a tool, of composite construction including a handle portion of molded synthetic resin plastic material and can engaging and punching parts of metal of sufcient hardness to satisfactorily hold an edge.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved tool of composite metal and molded plastic construction in which the metal part is securely anchored to the molded plastic part in a very simple manner.

A further object is to provide a can perforator which is operative a second degree lever.

Another object is to provide a tool which 'is operable both as a can perforator and also for removing caps from beverage bottles.

Other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specications and appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a can perforator embodying my invention, in a position in which it has started to punch an opening in the top of a beverage can;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the tool;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the tool and a portion of a can about to be punched thereby;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line li-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the tool;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side View of the tool as used in removing a bottle cap, and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View of a modied form.

Referring to the drawings now in detail. my improved can perfcrator embodies a handle, indicated generally at IG, having at one end a hook portion I I and, adjacent the hook portion I I, loetween the same and the other end of the handle, a laterally projecting arm I2. Handle I0 is T- shaped in cross section as indicated in Fig. 4, having a relatively narrow, :dat web portion I3 and a wide back portion l@ in the form. of a pair of anges projecting laterally from the respective sides of web portion I3. Web portion i3 and back portion Id reinforce each other to provide maximum stiiness, i. e., resistance to bending in any lateral direction, coupled with maximum lightness of weight.

Hook portion II is spaced from the base part of arm I2 to denne a generally U-shaped recess I5 adapted to receive the marginal flange I6 of a beverage can Il, when hook II is engaged beneath the external shoulder dened by flange I6.

Hook portion II includes an inner part which constitutes an extension of the web portion I3 of the handle and is of substantially the same thickness; and includes an outer part which consti- Gil tutes an extension of flanged back portion I4, of spiral form, but tapering inwardly to the width of web portion I3 at the point of the hook as indicated in Fig. 4 at I8.

The side of arm i2 adjacent recess I5 provides a seat for a metal blade element I9 which has a piercing point 20 and sharpened side edges for cutting the top 2I of the can Il.

Blade I9 has a curled portion 22 which snugly lits the U-shaped inner wall of hook II about recess I5. Curled portion 22 terminates in a jaw 23 for engaging beneath the shoulder of can flange I6. i y.

Adjacent piercing point 28, blade I9 is provided with an up-struclr tongue 24 (Fig. 3) which is embedded in the outer end portion of arm I2. Tongue 24 extends transversely to blade I9 and resists any tendency of the blade to slip longitudinally along the seating face of arm l2. Tongue 2d 'is disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of blade I9, so as to resist any tendency of the blade to lift bodily away from the seating face of arm I2, at the o-uter end of the blade, At its inner end, any tendency of the blade to lift away from the seating face of arm l2 at the base of the arm is resisted by the engagement of the curled end portion 22 of the blade against the end portion of hook il. The direction of inclination of tongue 2li is such as to particularly resist any tendency of the blade to slide toward the tip of arm I2. Any tendency of the blade to slide in the opposite direction is resisted by the seating engagement of curled portion 22 against the curved inner face of hook portion I l.

" Thus the entire blade is securely attached to the handle by means of the single integral tongue 24.

In operation, the tool is used for perforating a can, as follows: Jaw 23 is applied to the under side of flange I 5, and piercing tip 2li is brought to bear against can top 2 I. Pressure is then brought to bear against handle Ill to move the same in a direction toward can top 2l as indicated by arrow 25 in Fig. l, causing the piercingtip Zl to pierce the can top 2|. In this operation, the tool operates as a second degree lever, with jaw 23 fulcruming against ilange I at one end of the lever, with the piercing pressure of arm'I2 being applied intermediate the ends of the lever, and with the force applied at the other end of the lever. I find that this is a more efficient and certain operation than that of the conventional can piercing tool, operating as a first degree lever with the fulcrum point intermediate the ends of the tool and the piercing point at one end of the tool. the force applied to the other end being a lifting force instead of a downward pressure as in the use of the present tool.

Arm I2 vis of tapered shape, widening toward its base at an angle of maximum degree within the limit imposed by the condition that the outer face 26 of the arm I2 shall lie: within an arc 21 described about a center coincident with jaw 23. For maximum strength in arm 23, its outer face 2d is disposed along an arc conforming generally to the curvature of arc 2l and lying just within arc 21 up to the point where the curvature of face 26 reverses to provide a fillet 28 joining arm I2 to handle member i3.

This feature avoids. any pcssiiblity of interference between the o-uter face 2d and the edge of the perforation started by piercing point 22, and at the same time provides maximum strength in arm l2.

The use of molded plastic for the main body of the tool has a number of advantages, including (1) more attractive appearance (particularly where the plastic material is a urea. resin, which can be molded in any selected pastel color) and 2) the saving in metal which is provided by the use of plastic.

The load which is transferred back to the plastic body portion of the tool from the blade l by the resistance of a can top 2l to being perforated, is taken almost entirely by the direct seating engagement of the blade i9 against the seating face of arm i2. Thus there is very little if any force acting to displace the blade longitudinally or laterally with reference to arm l2, and the relatively simple means for anchoring the blade to the body member therefore is adequate to maintain the blade securely attached to the body member.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 7, arm lZa embodies a tough plastic core ture, and a hardened skin 19a oi' hard plastic material. This may be accomplished by utilizing as the core, a somewhat plasticized, resin, or a thermo-plastic resin having a high resistance to fracture, applied thereto in the form of a coating, a nlm of thermo-setting resin, and then hardening said film by a curing process.

l'ig` 6 illustrates how the tool may be used in removing a cap 29 from a beverage bottle Sii. The arm i2 and blade i9 are of a length such that the outer end of the blade will have fulcruming engagement with cap 29 immediately above the neck rim of the bottle While jaw 23 engages beneath the edge of cap .'29, so that the effect of prying presure in direction 25 is to raise the edge of the cap and loosen the cap from the neck rim, rather than to punch through the cap at piercing point 2G. In eiect, the blade i9 fulcrurns against the unyielding neck of the bottle.

It may be noted that the seating face of arm i2, at the base thereof, merges with the seating face of hook portion Il to denne a continuous seating face having generally the form of the letter ,1, corresponding to the overall longitudinal configuration of blade i9, with substantially continuous curvature from end to end thereof.

I claim:

1. In a can perforator, a body of molded plastic material having at one end a body, and at its other end an integral hook terminating in a jaw for engagement beneath the rim bead of a can such as a beverage can, and having, adjacent said hook but spaced therefrom toward the end of the handle, an arm projecting laterally from said handle and terminating in a perforating tip, said arm having, adjacent said hook, a side which is concavely arched with reference to said hook so as to bridge over said rim bead and allow said jaw to maintain its fulcruming engagement beneath said rim bead throughout the sinking of said arm into the top of the can in perforating operation, said arm having an opposite, convexly curved side, remote from said hook, which is entirely disposed Within but closely conforming to a circular aro struck from a center coinciding with the point of said hook and intersecting said perforating tip, said arm operating as a second degree lever in the perforating operation.

2. A perforator as defined in claim 1, wherein said arm has a hardened skin of cured thermosetting resin dening the under, can top engaging side thereof.

3. A perforator as dened in claim l, wherein said arm and hook include an integral blade attached to and lining said arched side of said arm and to the adjacent inner side of the hook, said blade having one end constituting said jaw and its other end pointed and constituting said perforating tip.

4. In a can perforator, a body of molded plastic material including a handle at one end thereof and an integral hook at the opposite end thereof, said hook projecting laterally with reference to the longitudinal axis of said handle and terminating in a jaw for engagement beneath the rim bead of a can such as a beverage can, said body further including an arm disposed adjacent said hook but spaced therefrom toward the end of said handle, said arm projecting laterally from said handle in the same direction as said hook, terminating in a perfcrating tip and having respective sides, one adjacent and the other rewhich has a relatively low susceptibility to fracmote from said hook, said sides converging to said tip whereby said arm is gradually tapered from maximum width where it joins said handle to minimum Width at said perforating tip; said perforator further including a metal blade of J- shape attached to said hook and arm and lining the said adjacent face of said arm and the opposed inner iace of said hook, and said blade having one end constituting said jaw and its other end pointed and constituting said perforating tip;

' said handle and hook including a flanged back portion of relatively uniform thickness, and including inner web portions on opposite sides of said arm, and extending from said back portion in the same direction as said arm and hook, one

of said web portions deiining the inner margin of said hook and having respective sides substantially flush with the respective sides of said blade, said arm having lateral faces tapering to a point at said perforating tip and generally conforming to the taper of said pointed end of the blade, the taper of said lateral faces continuing beyond that of said blade to a width equal to that of said flanged back, the edges of the tapered portion of said blade functioning to commence the cutting of a spreading opening in the can top and the edges of said lateral arm faces, at the said adjacent side of the arm, functioning to continue said spreading cutting action up to the point of maximum penetration of the arm in said can top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,230,376 Cullen Feb. 4, 1941 2,319,607 Kevorkian et al May 18, 1943 2,377,906 Schaaff June 12, 1945 2,563,521 Ferriot Aug. 7, 1951 

